Forum Topic

Oh dear?  Labour win by-election. (An 8% swing) 

An 8% swing to Labour!Official turnout figure was 28.83 per cent. The total number of votes cast was 23,298, of which 6,854 were postal12639  Malhotra, Seema  (Labour Party)06436  Bowen, Mark  (Conservative Party)01364  Crouch, Roger (Liberal Democrats)01276  Charalambous, Andrew (UK Independence Party)00540  Furness, David (British National Party)00426  Goldsmith, Daniel (Green Party)00322  Cooper, Roger (English Democrats)00128  Hallam, George   (London People Before Profit)00093  Bishop, David Laurence  Bus-Pass Elvis Party (Statistics taken from the Hounslow Council website at 1.45am)

Jim Lawes ● 5222d44 Comments

Who are the Labour GLA candidates ?

David Giles ● 5219d

Maybe - but the person who knocked on our door was the GLA candidate.

Vanessa Smith ● 5219d

The result is pretty meaningless because of the very low poll. Labour called the by election very quickly but was obviously well prepared. It was a short campaign. There were no major local issues such as hospital closures. Many people in the constituency commute or work shifts. I think many people in Feltham and Heston failed to vote because they knew that the result would not alter the balance of power in the House of Commons. The Government has a huge majority and the election of one more or one less Labour MP in a safe Labour seat will not make any difference.And in any case the seat will disappear at the next General Election so Seema Malhotra MP will have to find another constituency.Congratulations to her and commiserations to Mark Bowen.

David Giles ● 5219d

Nobody canvasses for the GLA or London Mayoral elections per se, the constituency base is simply too vast to make it meaningful or worthwhile.What the political parties are doing in reality is updating their records for the more localised elections to come, using the cover that the London elections provide.

Phil Andrews ● 5219d

We don't normally have canvassers - they are probably fearful of the pavements and H&S issues or don't own sensible shoes.  It doesn't deter the Jehovah's witnesses, who can't take a hint - todays lot shinned over the portcullis and abseiled the last few feet.  :-(

Sarah Felstead ● 5219d

We were canvassed for the Mayoral elections weeks ago.

Vanessa Smith ● 5219d

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulture

Phil Andrews ● 5220d

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulture

Phil Andrews ● 5220d

There's that echo again..;-)

Keith Iddon ● 5220d

Had our first canvassers yesterday - proper knock at the door and conversation style rather than piles of paper through the post/letterbox.  We are in Osterley and Spring Grove.Sigh.  Which election are we looking forward to?  The leaflet promoted Ken Livingstone but the conversation was about Labour as a party.

Sarah Felstead ● 5220d

Had our first canvassers yesterday - proper knock at the door and conversation style rather than piles of paper through the post/letterbox.  We are in Osterley and Spring Grove.Sigh.  Which election are we looking forward to?  The leaflet promoted Ken Kivingaton but the conversation was about Labour as a party.

Sarah Felstead ● 5220d

Or you could shoot us all I guess, which if George is right will improve the percentage turnout?

Phil Andrews ● 5220d

Political parties seem to do nothing else but come up with policies to improve their lot. How about they make a bit of effort on their own behalf?

Susan Kelly ● 5220d

It's free to vote, so if poor people are less likely to vote that would suggest they feel nobody is there to represent them.  Threatening to relieve them of what little they have if they refuse to play the game is not going to make them any better disposed towards the politicians they clearly distrust.  How about somebody coming up with some policies that will improve their lot, if you are looking for a really radical suggestion?

Phil Andrews ● 5220d

That made I larf! :0)

Tony Wood ● 5220d

Wot?

George Knox ● 5221d

"I suspect but PA may correct me, that it is more the people  who live in poverty and have been denied a better education who are less likely to vote."You certainly know how to hurt a chap.

Tony Wood ● 5221d

It would result in a much higher turn out.Let's not have any laws because they are expensive to police.

Keith Iddon ● 5221d

I think it might be more expensive because compulsory voting would have to be policed.I don't think we should have laws which then nobody follows up. Makes more of an ass of both the law and the people who have to administer the law than already is the case.I suspect but PA may correct me, that it is more the people  who live in poverty and have been denied a better education who are less likely to vote. An inducement might get more of them to the polling station.

George Knox ● 5221d

If voting were compulsory it wouldn't be necessary to waste time and money prosecuting people for not voting. Most people are law abiding and would obey the law, while I'm not sure that I want the non law-abiding to vote!

Susan Kelly ● 5221d

Could one of the main reasons for the low turnout not simply be that voters were simply not inspired by the choices on offer?I possibly take more interest in politics than some yet when I received a YouGov survey a few days ago asking how I would vote at a general election I had to answer "Don't Know".  I have all but decided I will be voting for Ken Livingstone at the GLA election but that is in spite of his party allegiance rather than because of it, with his willingness to defy the Party Line one of the main reasons for my decision.Maybe I am not typical, but where you have an unpopular government matched by indifference to the opposition and a feeling that nobody else is realistically in with a shout there is little incentive to place one's cross.  Threatening voters with a fine is not going to change anybody's mind about those factors so with compulsory voting we would only serve to mask the real picture rather than getting a more accurate snapshot of public opinion.Painting over the cracks and kidding ourselves that we suddenly have a democracy with 100% interest and participation only stores up more trouble for the future.

Phil Andrews ● 5221d

Pardon ?

Keith Iddon ● 5221d

There's an echo on here

Jon Hardy ● 5221d

Why would it cost a lot to have compulsory voting?

Keith Iddon ● 5221d

Why would it cost a lot to have compulsory voting?

Keith Iddon ● 5221d

Why would it cost a lot to have compulsory voting?

Keith Iddon ● 5221d

It would cost a lot to have compulsory voting. So instead voters should be bribed for the next 10 years to vote in GEs. That is they are given money after they put their paper into the ballot box.It is always said that we have the right to vote. The Human Rights Act also gives rights. The other side of the coin is that we should be reminded of our responsibilities. That could include a duty to vote.

George Knox ● 5221d

No,it is not.It is people who refer to compulsory voting as fascist.THey don't seem to know what fascist means.Anyway,what do I care what you think?

Keith Iddon ● 5221d

John - my suggestion was 'not in retaliation' I have long advocated compulsory voting, but this latest bilge from the Tories only reinforces my view. I think with compulsory voting you'd get a more realistic result, and the majority of people having had to vote would express an opinion. Seeing the attitude to the by election in F&H just now on the BBC from people in the street who'd apparently rather shop than vote makes my heart sink. I wonder if some sort of test before you're allowed to vote shouldn't be introduced!

Vanessa Smith ● 5221d

Is it yourself you are referring to, Keith? I certainly did describe your proposal for compulsory voting as fascist. However, I did vote in Feltham and am therefore entitled to say what I like in your terms.As to Vanessa's point, introducing compulsory voting into political elections in retaliation for the Tories raising minimum percentage requirements in trade union votes would merely be an eye for an eye, and would do nothing for democratic freedoms.

John Connelly ● 5221d

One suggestion that has been made by advocates of compulsory voting is that a "none of the above" option is included on the ballot paper.If this had applied yesterday it is quite possible that "none of the above" would have received more votes than the successful candidate.  If this did happen, should the seat not remain vacant?

Phil Andrews ● 5221d

People fought for the right to vote but surely implicit in that is the right not to vote?In a democracy a person has a right not to favour democracy, as long as he or she does not resort to violence or illegality to further their objectives.  So why should such a person be forced to participate in a system he or she does not believe in?It must also be said that in yesterday's by-election, with 71% of the electorate staying away, the outcome with compulsory voting would most likely have been determined by electors who did not support any of the candidates and who were voting under protest, no doubt in many cases completely randomnly.  At least Seema Malhotra can say she won because a majority of those people who did vote made a conscious decision to put their cross against her name.As somebody who has won and lost several elections it has concerned me when a low turnout has called my mandate into question.  But when all is said and done I would much prefer to be properly elected on a low turnout than be returned to office by voters who had picked my name from a hat.  A 100% turnout under threat of a fine or imprisonment isn't fooling anyone, the real challenge is to make people want to vote.

Phil Andrews ● 5221d

Indeed Vanessa.All these people who bleat about democracy,fascism blah blah blah and their right to abstain should bloody well belt up if they don't vote and a govn. does something about which they disagree.

Keith Iddon ● 5222d

I am all for compulsory voting, if you don't like it you can always spoil your ballot paper in protest. I'd definitely support it especially if the Tories start trying to make it law that over 40% of union members HAVE to vote in a strike ballot without applying that same criteria to elections. As regards F&H, it was never going to be a good turnout, the time of year, the speed of the elcetion and the weather - what did anyone expect?

Vanessa Smith ● 5222d

I can't see how compulsory voting can be enforced (thankfully),certainly my attendance can be (and is)  monitored but that's about it,for the time being anyway.

Tony Wood ● 5222d

Keith, we have a right to vote. It is not an obligation. As it happens, I voted in this election. However, I did consider abstaining. Compulsory voting would have denied me that right by subjecting me to a fine for seeking freedom of action.

John Connelly ● 5222d

It might smack of fascism to you but it seems a good way of engaging people and of avoiding a fascist government.I wonder if the Australians are aware they are under the yolk of a fascist electoral system,or dozens of other countries for that matter.What would you think if the turnout was 0.5 or 1% ?

Keith Iddon ● 5222d

Ultimately we get the democracy we deserve. Compulsory voting smacks of fascism, and I would totally oppose the idea.The result yesterday was never in doubt, and it would have made no difference whether the Labour candidate was a billionaire of a donkey in a red rosette.Jim Lawes' discomfort probably comes from the fact that another product of the City of London, Mary Macleod, would have been out on her ear if her seat were at stake yesterday.None of this, of course, gives us any clue of what might happen in 2015 when the next General Election is due.

John Connelly ● 5222d

Less than a 29% turnout? I'd say the clear winner here is apathy,with disillusionment a close second and engagement losing it's deposit.Compulsory voting anyone?

Keith Iddon ● 5222d

"Who would have possibly thought that the residents of Feltham and Heston would have elected a city banker from Chelsea?"I think the question is more who'd have thought that the F&H neanderthal party would have selected a woman in the first place? All that's happened is that another career politician has been elected.

Vanessa Smith ● 5222d

Who would have possibly thought that the residents of Feltham and Heston would have elected a city banker from Chelsea?Even Robin Taylor would have trouble explaining that one

Paul Fisher ● 5222d

Congratulations to Seema Malhotra.  Those council election defeats will be well forgotten now, and I wish her all the best in her new role.The turnout was appalling.  The Lib Dem vote would have been barely enough to win a council election.Me, I'm disappointed.  I thought Bus Pass Elvis would hit at least 100.

Phil Andrews ● 5222d

It was expected, no real surprise. Thought the BNP and English Demorcrats may have polled more in Feltham.

Neil Chippendale ● 5222d

So the westside of the London Borough of Hounslow swang towards Labour yesterday ....at the Feltham and Heston by-election.Are you worried?

Jim Lawes ● 5222d